TV Fanatic Round Table: Best Villain of 2013

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We can be heroes? Sure, possibly.

But these folks can be villains.

In our latest staff Round Table discussion - join in our debates of Best New Show and Best Comedy of 2013 now! - various writers gather below to answer the simple, scary question:

WHO WAS THE BEST VILLAIN ON TELEVISION IN 2013?

Kate Brooks: Hands down, Moriarty on Elementary. It was a huge plot twist that Moriarty was not only a woman but Sherlock's love, Irene Adler, as played by the magnificent Natalie Dormer. I am still fangirling about it!!!

Miranda Wicker: The Governor from The Walking Dead. He slaughtered his own people! The man was straight evil!

Lisa Palmer: Hannibal. He eats people! And he's a psychopath - there is no one like him on TV!

Carissa Pavlica: Mickey Donovan from Ray Donovan. While not a villain in the traditional sense, because of his self-centered behavior and inability to parent, his children suffered horribly while he looked elsewhere and they are still suffering as adults; even more so now that he's thrust himself into their lives once again.

Sean McKenna: I'm gonna go back to early in the year for this one. King Joffrey from Game of Thrones is despicable, depraved and fantastically villainous. His every action is repugnant - and I can't wait to see him get what he deserves.

Crossbow Practice
Preying On Fear

Christine Orlando: I'm going to go with Red John on The Mentalist. Some fans loved the big reveal of his identity this season while others hated it. Either way, up until that moment the debate was as intense as I've ever seen in any fandom. Viewers kept lists on things as mundane as hand shakes and dissected the meaning behind William Blake's classic poem "The Tyger." After six seasons of watching Patrick Jane hunt the man who murdered his family, I'm glad Red John is finally dead but I certainly enjoyed the chase to the end.

Leigh Raines: I'm gonna represent the teen vote here for a minute, even though I'm almost 30, cough cough, whatever. For me it was Ezra on Pretty Little Liars. Somehow I really didn't see it coming, maybe because Marlene King created such a convoluted crazy ass show. Talk about sleeping with the enemy.

Also gonna throw a vote up here for B613 and Command as a general villain on Scandal. Olivia was being stalked by this omnipresent, powerful, dangerous organization and then it turned out to be dear old dad in the finale. Mind. Blown. Also they put people in holes and tortures them! You don't want to cross B613.

Carla Day: Arrow's Malcolm Merlyn, the Dark Archer, was an incredible villain in 2013. He kicked ass, was manipulative, destroyed the Glades, was responsible for his own son's death ... and he looked hot doing it! Oh, and he survived.

Gabrielle Moss: Queen Catherine from Reign. Arch campiness + poison + constant scheming + more poison + horrible secrets that make you empathize with her even while being appalled by many of her actions + even more poison = my favorite villain to watch in action each week.

Doug Wolfe: I think the slightly-smiling Amanda on Nikita typifies the kind of dangerous passive-aggressive homicidal villain most of us can appreciate. Nikita's attempts at trying to understand her has only proven that there is absolutely nothing redeemable about her - despite her horrible past. As much as she has served as Nikita's foil, at the end of the day the woman has to be taken out. And not in a good way.

YOUR turn, TV Fanatics: Who do you think was the best villain of 2013?

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